Double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus is described. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus includes a heat-dissipating barrel, a wind guide, cooling fins, and a fan. The heat-dissipating barrel further includes a thermoelectric chip-cooling module and heat-dissipating fins disposed therein. The fan drives a part of air passing through the heat-dissipating fins to remove a heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. One end of the wind guide is coupled to a heat source of an electronic device, for example, a CPU or a graphic card of a computer. Another end of the wind guide is coupled to the fan to guide another part of the air through the cooling fins reducing the temperature thereof to the heat source of the electronic device to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 95203660, filed Mar. 6, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus for a computer system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The information technology and the computer industry are technologically highly developed and the semiconductor manufacturing processes have very advanced requirements. Therefore, the electric circuit layouts of semiconductors have become more complicated and more sophisticated. Complicated and sophisticated semiconductors have higher power consumption, which results in an increase in the operating temperature thereof.

However, semiconductor electronic components are used extensively in computer products, communication products and consumer electronic products. In addition, the central processing unit (CPU) with powerful functions and performance uses more power so as to generate more heat inside the 3C products, especially inside computer products. The high operating temperature can cause instabilities in a working system. Furthermore, if the operating temperature is too high, the performance and stability decrease and the operating system may even crash, in extreme situations.

Some conventional heat-dissipating devices are directly disposed on the CPU to remove the heat generated by the CPU with a fan blowing air towards the heat-dissipating fins on the CPU so as to reduce the operating temperature of the CPU. The volume of the heat-dissipating device is increasingly larger since the heat generated by the CPU is increasing.

However, when the heat generated by the CPU is removed from the CPU, the heat still resides in the computer. Therefore, the heat has to be emitted out of the computer through a heat-dissipating device of the computer. In general, the heat-dissipating device of the computer is a fan in conjunction with the power supply to emit high temperature air out of the computer.

A larger fan is therefore installed in the computer to emit the heat inside the computer. Accordingly, the volume of the heat-dissipating device of the computer is also increased. The larger heat-dissipating device has to occupy more space inside the computer otherwise the stability of the computer system may be reduced because there is too much heat inside the computer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus with a thermoelectric chip-cooling module, a wind guide and a fan to blow air to both sides of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module and drive the air cooled by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module to a heat source, such as an integrated circuit device, of an electronic device so as to reduce the temperature thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus with a thermoelectric chip-cooling module, a wind guide, a fan and, in conjunction with, a heat-dissipating device of a heat source, for example, a central processing unit or a graphic chip. The fan blows air to both sides of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module and drive the air cooled by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module to the heat-dissipating module of the heat source so as to reduce the temperature thereof and further reduce the internal temperature of a computer with the heat source.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodiment and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus to cool a heat source of an electronic device, for example, a CPU or a graphic chip of a computer. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus includes a heat-dissipating barrel, a wind guide, cooling fins and a fan. The heat-dissipating barrel further includes a thermoelectric chip-cooling module and heat-dissipating fins disposed therein to remove a heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. The wind guide is preferably coupled between the fan and the heat source of the electronic device. The cooling fins are preferably disposed between the wind guide and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. The fan is installed on one end of the wind guide to drive the airflow through both the cooling fins and the heat-dissipating fins. Therefore, a part of the airflow passes through the heat-dissipating fins to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module out of the electronic device, and another part of the airflow passes through the cooling fins so as to reduce the temperature of another part of the airflow. In addition, another part of the airflow is blown to the heat source of the electronic device through the wind guide to effectively reduce the operating temperature of the heat source.

The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus may further include heat source dissipating fins coupled to the heat source so that the fan blows the airflow to the heat source dissipating fins to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source. The airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is guided into the interior of the electronic device. Alternative, the airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is emitted out of the electronic device. The airflow is preferably sucked from the exterior of the electronic device directly.

The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus may further include a heat source fan installed between the wind guide and the heat source dissipating fins, and the wind guide covers the heat source fan to fully guide another part of the airflow to the heat source fan. The wind guide is made of a heat insulation material, for example, a plastic material. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus further includes a separating plate with an opening, and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module is fitted in the opening so as to dispose the hot side and the cold side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module on two surfaces of the separating plate respectively. Therefore, the hot side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module is effectively isolated from the cold side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module.

The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus according to the present invention can use a cooling fan to suck external air into the computer to cool a part of the air by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. The cold air can be directly driven to a heat source, for example, an integrated circuit such as a central processing unit or a graphic chip, to reduce the operating temperature thereof. In addition, another part of the air is driven to the hot side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module with the same fan to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. Accordingly, the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus can effectively reduce the temperature inside the computer and increase the operation stability of the computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined by referencing the appended claims.

Refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus according to the present invention. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus 100 includes a fan 112, heat-dissipating fins 114, a thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116, cooling fins 118 and a wind guide 130. The heat-dissipating fins 114 and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116 are disposed inside the heat-dissipating barrel 110, and the fan 112 drives air 180 from the outside of the heat-dissipating barrel 110 to the heat-dissipating fins 114 to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116. The fan 112 simultaneously drives air 120 through the cooling fins 118 coupled to the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116 to cool air 120 so as to form the cooling air 122. The cooling air 122 is directly blown onto a heat source 170, such as a CPU, a graphic chip or any other IC with high power consumption, through the wind guide 130 to effectively reduce the operating temperature of the heat source 170. The thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116 is preferably disposed in an opening 146 of a separating plate 142 so that the separating plate 142 isolates the hot side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116 from the cold side thereof. The separating plate 142 is preferably made of a heat insulation material to prevent a reduction in the heat-dissipating efficiency of the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus 100. The fan 112 can simultaneously blow the air to the hot side and the cold side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116 so as to further reduce the size of the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus 100 according to the present invention.

In addition, one end of the wind guide 130 can be combined with a heat-dissipating device, for example, a fan 140, heat-dissipating fins 150 and a heat plate 160, of the heat source 170 to increase the heat-dissipating efficiency of the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus 100. The heat-dissipating device can be an original heat-dissipating device for the heat source or a new heat-dissipating device specially designed for the heat source and the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus. The heat plate 160 is preferably in direct contact with the heat source 170 to transfer the heat generated by the heat source 170 to the heat-dissipating fins 150, and the fan 140 forces the cooling air 122 to pass through the heat-dissipating fins 150 to remove the heat from the heat source 170 by the air 124. The wind guide 130 is preferably made of a heat insulation material, for example, a plastic material.

The heat is transferred to the heat-dissipating fins 114 inside the heat-dissipating barrel 110 through the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116. Subsequently, the heat is emitted from the interior to the exterior of the heat-dissipating barrel 110 of an electronic device with the air 180 driven by the fan 112. Since the air 120 is forcibly cooled by the cooling fins 118 and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module 116, the temperature of the air 120 can be effectively reduced to form the cooling air 122 whose temperature is much lower than the temperature of the environmental air. Therefore, the heat source 170 can be operated under a lower operating temperature so as to increase the stability of the integrated circuits and the electronic device.

Because the air 122 can be lower than the environmental temperature, the temperature of the air can be kept lower than the internal temperature of the electronic device even after the air is heated by the heat source 170. Therefore, the air can be further utilized to cool the internal electronic elements inside the electronic device, such as the computer, to further increase the operating stability and efficiency of the electronic device. Alternatively, the air can be directly emitted out of the electronic device after the air is heated by the heat source 170. The fan can be a centrifugal fan, an axial fan, or a diagonal flow fan.

Therefore, the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus according to the present invention can use only one fan to suck the air outside the computer into the computer to cool a part of the air by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source and to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module out of the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus. The cool air can be directly driven to the heat source with the wind guide to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source. Accordingly, the double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus can effectively reduce the operating temperature of the heat source and the internal temperature of the computer so as to increase the operation stability of the computer.

As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended that various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. 

1. A double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus, comprising: a heat-dissipating barrel with a thermoelectric chip-cooling module and heat-dissipating fins disposed therein, to remove a heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module; a wind guide coupled to a heat source of an electronic device; cooling fins disposed between the wind guide and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module; and a fan installed on one end of the wind guide to drive an airflow through the cooling fins and the heat-dissipating fins, wherein a part of the airflow passes through the heat-dissipating fins to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module out of the electronic device, another part of the airflow passes through the cooling fins so as to reduce the temperature of the another part of the airflow, and the another part of the airflow is blown to the heat source of the electronic device through the wind guide to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source.
 2. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a computer.
 3. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat source comprises a central processing unit.
 4. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat source comprises a graphic chip.
 5. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising heat source dissipating fins coupled to the heat source, the fan blows the airflow to the heat source dissipating fins to reduce the operating temperature of the heat source.
 6. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is guided into the interior of the electronic device.
 7. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is emitted out of the electronic device.
 8. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a heat source fan installed between the wind guide and the heat source dissipating fins, wherein the wind guide covers the heat source fan to fully guide the another part of the airflow to the heat source fan.
 9. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airflow is directly sucked from the exterior of the electronic device.
 10. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind guide is made of a heat insulation material.
 11. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind guide is made of a plastic material.
 12. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a separating plate with an opening, wherein the thermoelectric chip-cooling module is fitted in the opening to isolate a hot side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module from a cold side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module.
 13. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separating plate is made of a heat insulation material.
 14. A double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus, comprising: a heat-dissipating barrel with a thermoelectric chip-cooling module and heat-dissipating fins disposed therein, to remove a heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module; a wind guide coupling to an integrated circuit of a computer; cooling fins disposed between the wind guide and the thermoelectric chip-cooling module; and a fan installed on one end of the wind guide and the heat-dissipating barrel to drive an airflow through the cooling fins and the heat-dissipating fins, wherein a part of the airflow passes through the heat-dissipating fins to remove the heat exchanged by the thermoelectric chip-cooling module out of the computer, another part of the airflow passes through the cooling fins so as to reduce the temperature of the another part of the airflow, and the another part of airflow is blown to the integrated circuit of the computer through the wind guide to reduce the operating temperature of the integrated circuit.
 15. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 14, wherein the heat source comprises a central processing unit.
 16. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 14, wherein the heat source comprises a graphic chip.
 17. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 14, further comprising integrated circuit heat-dissipating fins coupling to the integrated circuit and an integrated circuit fan installed between the wind guide and the integrated circuit heat-dissipating fins to drive the another part of the airflow to the integrated circuit heat-dissipating fins so as to reduce the operating temperature of the integrated circuit, wherein the wind guide covers the integrated circuit fan to fully guide the another part of the airflow to the integrated circuit fan.
 18. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is guided into the interior of the computer.
 19. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the airflow passes through the heat source dissipating fins and then is emitted out of the computer.
 20. The double-effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus of claim 14, further comprises a separating plate with an opening, wherein the thermoelectric chip-cooling module is fitted in the opening to isolate a hot side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module from a cold side of the thermoelectric chip-cooling module. 